Brian Triplett: Ag Biz

Last month the Smith County Extension office was host to a Texas Beef Quality Producer program for ranchers who wanted to learn more about the beef production chain and how management decisions made on the farm affect the future eating experience of beef consumers.

On June 17, producers who have previously attended a Texas Beef Quality Producer training are invited to attend a program update in Canton. This free program, which begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. and concludes around 3 p.m., will focus on the Texas Beef Quality Producer’s Green Tag Program, ranch biosecurity and herd health, adapting to the new paradigm, cowherd genetics and cull cow and bull management.

This update will be held at the Van Zandt County Farm Bureau office, 281 Texas Highway 243 East, in Canton. Attendees will receive four beef quality credit hours for attending, which is one-half of the two-year requirement for re-certification as a Texas Beef Quality Producer. To make a reservation for the meeting, e-mail or call Stacy Fox at sfox@texascattleraisers.org or 800-242-7820.

For more information about the Texas Beef Quality Producer Program, visit http://www.texasbeefquality.com.

There is an at-home computer course that producers can take to achieve Level I certification through this program. This free CD can be ordered via the above Web site.

When working cattle this summer, take some precautions to minimize heat stress.

First, provide adequate water. Depending on their body size and stage of production (i.e. nursing versus dry), beef cattle need between seven and 18 gallons of water per day (about two gallons per 100 pounds of body weight daily).

Second, avoid handling cattle when the risk of heat stress is high. According to The Cattle Industry’s Guidelines for the Care and Handling of Cattle, temperature, humidity and wind speed should be taken into account when considering cattle handling. When the temperature humidity index (THI) rises above 84, then cattle handling should be minimized. As a rule of thumb, working livestock earlier in the day or later in the evening will reduce stress on both the animals and the people working them, especially in our normally very humid East Texas climate.

For example, an outside reading of 84 degrees Fahrenheit with 100 percent relative humidity yields a THI of 84, as does a reading of 100 degrees Fahrenheit with 30 percent relative humidity. Local weather reports during the summer typically provide a heat index reading, which is also based on temperature and relative humidity. The heat index provided for people is very close to the THI for cattle. A link to a THI chart for cattle can be found on my blog, Blogging with Brian, at http://www.tceblogs.tamu.edu. Note that heat index values for people can increase by up to 15 degrees if you are standing in direct sunlight because heat index values are based upon shady and light wind conditions.

Larger cattle, younger calves and other cattle more prone to heat stress should be worked earlier in the day or later in the evening to reduce heat stress. Limiting the time cattle spend in enclosed working areas waiting to be processed (i.e. small pens and solid narrow alleyways under barns) will reduce heat stress as well.

Trees are some of the best shade and relief from heat you can provide for cattle (large trees are capable of dropping the inside temperature of a Texas house by 8 to 10 degrees in the summer). As the THI increases, cattle will seek out areas of shade and stock ponds for cooling themselves. If trees are lacking in your pasture, you can erect shades to help provide some relief during the summer. According to the University of Kentucky, if you are planning on building artificial shade, plan on about 30 to 40 square feet per mature cow in the herd. Shade should also be provided in holding pens, if cattle are kept in them for long periods of time during processing or if they are used on a long-term basis for the treatment of sick animals or other animals being kept apart from the rest of the herd.

Brian Triplett is the Smith County Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources. He can be reached at 903-590-2980, via e-mail at b-triplett@tamu.edu or on the Web at http://smith-tx.tamu.edu.

Brian Triplett
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